Bilbo is charmed by an elf girl
by Drapple Drapple Drapple
Summary: When Bilbo is in Mirkwood and all the dwarves are captured by the Elves, he tries to save them but is charmed by a beautiful, mysterious elf girl. What will happen? An alternative to the real story's episode.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Bilbo was wandering about in Mirkwood, keeping close to the Elf King's cavern, worrying about how his poor captured friends were faring. He had not yet found a way to enter, but knew that sooner or later he would be able to slip in, quiet and - most importantly - invisible. He would then steal some keys from one of the guards and whisk his friends out of there. Meanwhile, he hoped the dwarves were being well treated for he had heard many tales of elves starving or even torturing their prisoners. Of course, he should not have feared because the elves were acting most courteously towards the company.

Still Bilbo waited, spying the elves from behind trees as they went in and out of the cavern, choosing his moment carefully. He now knew that the door was well guarded but, with his ring and a lot of luck (fortunately, he had both), he would be able to pass through the rock gate and into the dark bowels of the cavern. One evening, three young elves were bringing in a vast load of food supplies, piles and piles of crates filled with juicy fruit, fresh (but killed) animals, and various herbs of the undergrowth. Bilbo's mouth watered as he watched these pounds of victuals rolling before him and disappearing into the cavern. Suddenly, he noticed that it was the perfect moment to sneak past the guards, for they seemed rather busy helping the arriving men and chatting about "Bolurg", an elf who apparently was quite the gossip because of his tendency to set fire to his own beard.

The hobbit pushed the ring onto his finger and crept out of the trees, as silent as a hobbit can be. This was his only chance, he knew, and he strained to make no noise at all. He was quite successful at first, but then made a mistake which would change the outcome of his plan to deliver the dwarves. So intent was he at watching the elves, making sure they would not turn or hear him, that he forgot to watch his step. Nearly crying out with surprise and fear, Bilbo tripped on a root and crashed onto the ground, making a sound which, inevitably, caught the elves' attention. They whipped around and stared through the darkness of the trees, trying to see who was there. One whispered something to another, and he ran back into the cavern. "This is it, thought poor Bilbo, I've ruined everything. Now I shall be caught too and there will be nothing else to do except wait for help which will never come!".

However, just as a group of ten new elves came speading out through the door armed with deadly-looking spears, Bilbo heard a thud behind him. He turned around, cowering with fright, expecting to see another elf set on capturing him, but instead saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen landing from a tree. She was an elf-girl, with a thin, delicate build, long hair rushing down in waves of ivory, and big, storm blue eyes burning under dark eyelashes. She seemed to know that Bilbo was right there, trembling on the moss at her feet, although the hobbit did not know how that could be.  
"Who are you? she whispered. You had better answer me now, she added, for I can decide if I shall reveal you to the guards or not. Your choice, creature unknown."  
Maybe she could help him, maybe she was only a trap. Bilbo could not understand, so he decided to take off the ring and tell her, and see where it took him. After all, it was the mysterious, beautiful girl or a dozen grown men with sharp weapons.

"I am Bilbo, he said standing up and stowed the ring into his pocket. I am a hobbit." He hoped he was speaking with a confidence which would reassure the girl and make her choose not to tell the guards he was there.  
"Very well, she answered, this is very intriguing, but, first, I shall respect my part of the deal". At this she stepped out of the shadows and laughed charmingly, waving her hands at the guards. "Oh, dear me, she chuckled, it seemed I have gotten you all worked up because of my tree-climbing! Did you think I was an intruder? Well, fear not, and go back inside, for it was only me, Ariadne." Bilbo saw shock on the elves' faces, which quickly turned into humiliation. Only a young girl climbing trees! Why, they felt quite stupid, jumping at every sound as if there were beasts and trespassers behind every bush!

The elves nodded at Ariadne and shuffled back into the darkness of the tunnels, half shutting the door behind them. The girl then turned around and walked towards Bilbo.  
"Do you see? I have saved you, peculiar... hobbit, you say?"  
Bilbo felt very grateful indeed, and did not want to vex the pretty girl by keeping his mouth shut, as would have been his instinct. He was also feeling rather elated that such a gourgeus girl would use of her time to help _him_.  
"Yes yes, a hobbit, I am a hobbit, he stuttered, growing red, thinking about the charisma he lacked (but strongly wished for)." Ariadne smiled but frowned, appearing perplexed at something.  
"Now, I believe I may be mistaken, but it seems to me that hobbits cannot... become invisible? Yet I am certain that you were right before me some minutes ago, although I could not see you."  
Bilbo stuttered and spluttered again, torn between protecting his secret and pleasing Ariadne. He thought hard : she seemed reliable and kind, not one to tell others about the ring, since she saved him out of good will. On the other hand, his ring was very precious and most helpful in tight situations, so he was very reluctant to share its secret with a stranger. Ariadne saw his struggle and a smile spread on her face, the most charming smile she could muster. She batted her eylashes and fingered her hair, then pleaded :  
"Dear hobbit, won't you tell me? I wish dearly to be told, and I promise to keep it to myself."

This was too much. Bilbo felt his heart and brain scatter, rendered crazy with the charm she was using on him. His hand dive into his pocket and pulled out the ring and he explained:  
"This ring makes me invisible. I found it in a mountain, in the Goblins' lair to be exact. Otherwise you are quite right, quite right, hobbits are not naturally invisible." What had happened? thought a bewildered Bilbo as these words escaped from his lips. Alas, it was too late to take anything back. He saw Ariadne's eyes turn interested.  
"A ring which makes you invisible? That is rare, I must say. May I see?" She turned her had upwards, expecting him to drop it in it. Bilbo fought with himself, struggling to keep a clear mind, but Ariadne's charm was too strong. He placed the ring in her palm, then took a step back. Was she going to like it? (He hoped she would).

Ariadne turned the ring over and observed it. She looked up at Bilbo, then said:  
"Dear, dear, hobbit. Poor, poor, hobbit. You are a little too naive for your own good. Did you truly think _I_ would help you? I am the King's daughter after all, and have no reaon to go against his will for a lone hobbit who cannot even walk straight. You have made a great mistake, giving me this ring. But, too bad, Goodbye!"

And she slipped on the ring, disappeared instantly, and left Bilbo standing alone in the forest, now with not a single mean to save himself.

DUN DUN DUUUUUN. The rest in the next chapter! Don't forget to review and give advice!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
**

Ariadne felt a little sick as she ran back to the cavern and through the tunnels towards her father's chambers. She could not see herself and that was quite disconcerting, but not as disquieting than when she brushed past other elves who did not even notice that someone was there. She was invisible to all! Pushing full barrels of wine back into the river, stealing elves's hats and all other kinds of mischief were now easily accessible! For the time being, however she had to alert the king about that little hobbit she had tricked. She was sure he was the missing companion of the company of dwarves they had locked up in cells.

She ran through the winding tunnels, turning left and right here and there, catching her breath when she had to pause and let other elves pass without smashing into them. That would have put an end to her discretion. Finally, as the dark tunnel sloped upwards steeply, Ariadne knew she had arrived. She slowed down as she reached the top, creeping past the royal guards, smirking as they stared straight through her without blinking. Suddenly, the carved corridor stopped and she stumbled into a thick wooden door, complete with a gold doorknob. Her father's room. As she twisted the handle and pushed the door open, she could not help but turn her head back to see the guards's eyes bulge before the self-opening door. She had to fight back a giggle, overjoyed to trouble the guards ho constantly kept her out of the king's room even though he was her father.  
"That will show them, she thought."

As the elfgirl entered the room, she saw her father writing away at his desk. His head was bent over his work, his eyes screwed to his page, squinting to make out the words he was scratching onto the paper. He had always had such a bad eyesight when reading or writing. Now she would have a little fun with her father.  
"Hello! she boomed in a loud, deep voice".

The king's head shot upwards and he scanned the empty room, surprised and nervous.  
"Where and who are you? he answered, perplexed when he could see no-one." Ariadne glided to the other side of the floor and tiptoed to behind Thranduil's large wooden chair. She picked up a pair of scissors on a shelf and, biting her lips so as not to burst out laughing, she clipped off half of the king's hair at once! This time he turned around brutally, snarling with rage.  
"How dare you play games with me, whoever you are! Reveal yourself immediately or I shall call for my guards." As he shook with anger, Ariadne noticed his half chopped of hair jumping about on his scalpand that was too much to the laughter-prone girl. She shrieked and howled, upsetting the confused Elf King even further.

When she saw he was nearly having convulsions, standing there in an empty room with an invisible person obviously mocking _him, _she took off the ring and placed it on the desk, exposing herself. Thranduil jumped back as Ariadne appeared out of thin air, then composed himself and a jaded look settled on his face. He was used to his daughter's pranks.  
"You! he shouted, I should have guessed. What is the matter now? Apart from the fact that you can BECOME INVISIBLE! How did you do that?"  
His eyes were round and shocked at the sudden realisation that Ariadne had really turned invisible. This was not like the time she hung from the cieling to play her pranks, this time it was pure magic.

"Yes father, she said, I was invisible. I think you should like to hear what I have to say. But let us hurry, for that hobbit could be running off right now." She then rapidly summarised the situation.

Meanwhile, Bilbo was alone in the forest with no cover except for the trees. Those, however, were treacherous more than helpful because he would get easily lost if he walked too far off, but the elves would quickly find him, since they knew the forest well. He did not know what to do. If he entered the cavern without his ring, he would be instantly captured. If he set off into the forest, he would die of hunger (he already felt like he was) or be caught, too. In the end, as he shivered in the cold and his stomach grumbled loudly, he was attracted by the cover of the grotto and the tasty food he had seen enter it some minutes ago.

There were no guards, for they had gone back in after being distracted by Ariadne. Oh, that mean elfgirl! She had stolen his precious ring and left him stranded at the mercy of the elves when she had promised not to do both! He gritted his teeth and cursed her as he inched towards the entrance, careful not to make a sound. He quickly crossed the space between the edge of the trees and the cavern, then kept close to the rock as he sneaked along the facade towards the door. Then, the small hobbit slipped through the opening. He was in.

His eyes were already adjusted to the gloomy tunnels after having stayed in the sombre forest for so long. All he could see were the outline of other tunnels branching out. His first thought was to go downwards to find the cells he imagined the dwarves were in, for he knew prisons were usually set below ground level to avoid easy escapes. He wormed along the corridors, feeling with his hand those who descended and then following them. He made his way for more than an hour in the dimness of the tunnels, never finding more than empty rooms behind closed doors. That was not too bad as it made it easy for the hobbit not to be seen.

At this point, however, Bilbo was starving. It had been two days since he had had a single meal, apart from a handful of berries from a bush which had done very little to calm his hunger. His pace slowed down, and he dragged himself for another hour along the tunnels, despairing about ever finding the dwarves. Suddenly, as he was about to drop to the ground just before a turn in the corridor, Bilbo heard voices having a conversation, only a few meters away.

"I don't think he would have actually down here, you know. We have been tracking that nasty hobbit for hours now and we have not found a trace of him!" said the first voice, a woman.  
"Now, Tauriel, I know he is here! His footprints clearly led to the cavern, such a successful Captain as you should have seen that."

It was Ariadne! Bilbo instantly recognised that silky voice teasing Tauriel.

"I know, I saw them, replied Tauriel. I just believe he could not have found his way through those twisty tunnels RIGHT near the dwarves' cells! He is probably still lurking avove ground and will shortly be caught by my guard."  
The hobbit gasped : next to the dwarves' cell? He had managed to reach them after all!  
His joy was short-lived, however. He heard the elves fall abruptly silent at his gasp and damned himself for having let it escape. Would they come around the bend and find him? The Captain of the Guard and the King's daughter... There was no way to escape them... except running. It was his only chance, he realised. He gathered all his strength and pushed himself up, then set off stealthily in the other direction. He thought he was being silent, but his fatigue and hunger made him stumble a little at each footstep. These noises combined with his rhasping breath soon became heard by the two elves.

"Is it him? asked Ariadne."  
"I do not know, but we should follow him quickly, said Tauriel, already breaking into a run"

Bilbo heard them and his hope failed him. They were surely in much better shape than him and he could not outrun them. Even then he would soon get lost in the tunnels. The exausted hobbit dropped to the floor, nearly crying. He had been so close to finding the dwarves. Oh, that dreadful Ariadne, he cursed her again as he heard the two elves come running up to him.  
"There, you are, Bilbo... We were looking for you, sniggered Ariadne as Tauriel bound him up with a rope. You were trickier to find than I thought, but we have you now..."

Still to be continued, thank you for reviews again, I would like to know what you think of my FIRST fan fic!"


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you Blueskydog for your support and helpful comments!

* * *

Chapter 3

Darkness. That was the world in which Bilbo's consciousness returned. Darkness… and, what was that…? A light, wafting smell of bread and mushrooms! The hobbit's stomach screamed at him to crawl towards the food, which he did instantly, before even thinking about where he was and what had happened to him. He followed the smell and felt around with his hand, finally grabbing a piece of soft bread and a handful of mushrooms, hobbits' favourite. He ate with relish, feeling himself fill up and his stomach calm down with this more than welcome meal. It was only when he had finished the plate (and licked it) that he started to wonder at his present situation. He could see absolutely nothing in the pitch black room, but could feel the stone ground which stretched only a few meters in all directions before hitting a wall. Bilbo tried to jump to guess at what height the ceiling was, but it was in vain : it was much too high. He knew he had been locked up by the elves when he realised there was no door to his cell : this was one of their tricks again, he deducted.

Despite his courage and hope, Bilbo knew that in this absence of light and with no door to leave this cell, there was no chance of escaping - for the moment. He decided to wait for an elf to come to him, as one would surely bring him another meal. However, he was a little suspicious about the fact that he was being fed, for this did not sound like elf behaviour towards prisoners at all. Had there been something in the food which he should not have eaten? These thoughts whirled around his brain and wrecked his nerves as he slumped against a wall, waiting. He soon fell asleep, exhausted by his last adventure through the tunnels.

A few hours later, Bilbo was startled awake by a loud clanging sound over his head.

"You alive?" asked a gruff voice from above.

The hobbit jumped up, trying to understand the source of the voice. A dim light shone in his cell now, and he could make out the stone walls and floor. But there was still no door! Suddenly, he heard a jeering laugh and looked up, falling face to face with an old, bearded elf leaning down from a trapdoor in the ceiling.

"You looked funny, running around in there trying to figure out where I was. I'm up here! We thought this was a great cell for you, we don't even have to lock the door since you're too small to reach it!" The old elf smirked at Bilbo, seeming very amused by his small size.

The hobbit stared at the trap door, discouraged by its height. There was really no way to escape. Maybe he could try climbing the walls, but they appeared much too smooth.

"So, d'you want the food or not?" grumbled the guard.

Bilbo abruptly noticed a plate laden with food dangling from a rope right above him, held by the elfguard. His mind processed the elf, balancing on the edge of the trap door, and the rope, attached to the elf. On the spur of the moment, he jumped up and pulled the rope with all his strength, towing the caught off guard with it. The latter crashed to the ground before he had any time to shout out. Bilbo rapidly bound the guard's wrists with the rope and tied his shirt around his mouth so that he could not scream for help and alert others. This all happened suddenly in a matter of seconds and, when he had finished, Bilbo stepped back, astounded at what he had done. There he was, respectable Bilbo Baggins from the Shire, pulling elves off ledges and tying them up like criminals! Who had he become? He sat down, the Took and Baggins parts of him fighting over if he should be proud or ashamed.

However, after a few breaths, Bilbo was feeling quietened and content. It did not matter if what he had done was not proper, at least now he had a small hand in the situation. He watched the elf wriggle on the floor, muffled sounds of shouts fading in his makeshift gag. The hobbit had no time to react before the guard somehow managed to push the shirt off his face and started howling and bellowing for help. Bilbo lept over to him and tried to put his hand over the guard's mouth, his heart beating fast and loud with fright, but it was too late : some elves passing by heard the commotion and ran to the trapdoor to see Bolurg (yes, it was him) wrestling with the captured hobbit.

"Get some help!", one of them said to another. The other three stayed, watching with growing angst as the two continued fighting in the cell, wondering what was happening in the dimness of the hole. Soon, the elf returned with a group of six elfguards and the Captain of the Guard herself. Although they could not see it, Bilbo had managed to tighten the ropes around Bolurg's ankles and wrists and had secured the gag over his mouth once more. Bolurg was so bound up that he could hardly move.

"What are you doing to our brother, prisoner?" growled Tauriel to Bilbo. The hobbit saw an opportunity in this turn of events which brought back some hope. They could not make out exactly what he was doing, so he would lie a little for his profit.

"I have a knife to your brother's throat, and I shall not hesitate to use it if you do not immediately let me out!" he declared loudly. Truly, he was only crouching over the terrified Borgul, but the elves all gasped and started muttering amongst them. They appeared to be arguing, trying to find a solution which would keep Bilbo prisoner but not harm poor Bolurg. Shortly a large, bulky elf with muscled forearms and a strong jaw stood swiftly up, looking down at Bilbo with hate mingled with some admiration : he had not thought a Hobbit able to hinder the elves so perfectly. They were so loyal that they could not neglect even an old, simple guard. The burly elf stared into the gloom of the cell:

"I am Origoth, and I propose to you a deal, hobbit Bilbo. We shall take both of you out of this hole. You will not impair our brother. Once out, you shall follow us to the King's chambers where you shall be interrogated. If your answers are satisfactory, you shall be allowed to leave."

Bilbo was tempted by the offer, for it was better than rotting in this cell forever, but he marked a number of flaws in it.

"What about my friends?" He asked, "will you free them as well? And what if I do not cooperate? If I kill Bolurg, what shall happen to me?"

"In that case you shall be executed", replied Origoth sharply, "one does not touch an elf without harsh repercussions. As for your friends, it depends whether you explain yourself well enough. That is all I can add."

Bilbo was not reassured by this statement. He knew he would never kill Bolurg so he was not afraid for his own life, but was troubled about his friends' fates. Despite his fears, he felt that, if he was liberated, at least he would have a higher chance of finding another way to help the dwarves. Maybe even fetch some help elsewhere if they gave him directions. His decision was made.

"Cast down the rope," he announced powerfully, "for I accept your deal!"

* * *

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to review please :) I hope to update the next chapter really soon.

PS can anyone tell me why the writing is so small suddenly? It wasn't like that before but I can't figure out how to make it bigger again! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Origoth instructed Bilbo to untie Bolurg and help him into a wooden basket that the elves were lowering down into the cell. The hobbit did as asked, warily eying the spears that the guards were pointing at him. He waited in the shadows as the elves heaved Bolurg up, panting, hissing and cursing his heavy weight. When it was Bilbo's turn, they laughed when they pulled him up so easily that only two elves were required for the task. He was immediately surrounded by armed guards in the tunnel, but a few elves clapped him on the back and thanked him for being so light. The hobbit did not register their thanks for he was too absorbed in taking in his location : for the moment, he was standing in an unrecognizable tunnel, similar to the thousands of others in the cavern which he had strode through the night before, but he was determined to remember every turn they made once they started walking towards the kings chambers. The elves did not linger long next to the trapdoor, but set off quickly at a rapid pace. They did not bother to hide Bilbo's eyes, deeming that he would never find his way back.

The group followed one tunnel for a few minutes, never leaving the main bowel but passing straight past all the others without a glance. Bilbo was starting to relax when he heard a voice call out to him. It was unmistakeably Fili's voice!

"Bilbo", he called, "is that you? Where are you going? We're trapped here!"

Bilbo swiveled his head to the right and saw a long corridor with a dozen of doors made out of crisscrossing bars on either side. In the first one on the left, young Fili was trying to push his head out to get a better look at Bilbo.

"It's me!", answered the hobbit, "I'm going to be interrogated but I will come back for you, just you wait!" He only had time to say this before one of his guards slapped his palm to Bilbo's mouth to shush him.

"One more word and you are dead", growled the guard. The procession accelerated to leave the corridor with the imprisoned dwarves.

Bilbo was not put off by the guard's threat. Now he knew where his friends were kept and was even more resolved to picture and learn the path to the King's Chambers. The elves dragged him along the corridor to its very end, where it reached a narrow but steep staircase. Bilbo had not come across any steps before he had been caught, so he wondered how vast this cavern could be. He noticed a second tunnel arriving to the staircase on his right and made a mental note to himself:_ "When at bottom staircase, take right."_ The staircase led up or down, and the procession chose to mount it. They ignored seven landings but rushed through the eighth one, pulling a gasping, stumbling Bilbo pushed to his limit by the long and quick ascension with them. This time they took the left tunnel, then the first one on the left, the second one on the right, then straight along that one for a long time.

Bilbo did some mental gymnastics, trying to turn around the instructions so that they would lead him back. _Follow tunnel, at last turn go left, pass one on left then turn right to the staircase. Eight down, right tunnel, follow along until you find them on the left. _Suddenly he felt the ground curve upwards, steeper and steeper at each step. The elves were nearly running but were still chatting among themselves comfortably, whilst Bilbo was spluttering and blowing rasping breaths as he struggled to catch up with his small legs. Then, the tunnel flattened down and the elves slowed to a respectful pace.

Bilbo watched the guards standing rigidly on either side of the tunnel with apprehension, guessing that they had reached their destination. He was right. The group ground to a halt in front of a massive oak door and silence settled upon them when Tauriel knocked loudly.

"Come in!" cried an elf, opening the door. At once a frightful din assailed Bilbo's ringing ears. They stepped into the turmoil of the room, aghast at the number of elves swarming in the chamber. The cries, shouts, laughs and constant yelling between the thousands of elves rendered the usually silent room into complete pandemonium. The king was sitting at his desk surrounded by a couple of grim elves, trying to ask for order in the deafening chaos. It seemed as if the entire elfpeople had assembled there for the interrogation.

For a few minutes, the group waited near the door for a way to be made in front of them. During this pause, Bilbo looked around the room, seeking Ariadne. With all those elves present, the princess must be too. With little difficulty he spied her standing a little apart from her father, straight and proud. Suddenly, a young elfboy came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She did not turn around but leaned back against his chest, then turned her head so that he could kiss her mouth. Bilbo felt a jealous pang as he saw their kiss, but instantly remembered her meanness and then looked away. Let her lover kiss that pest.

Thankfully, the arrival of Bilbo and his guards calmed the crowd. They all turned around, one by one, to watch the hobbit pass before them. He was led to a chair facing the King's desk and, once seated, he stared into Thranduil's dark eyes.

The King rose and raised his hands. The elves' attention was caught and all noise ceased, except for a little tittering in the corners. More than two thousand elves were packed into the room, keen to be present for the little action that happened rarely in those parts. Gossip was so quick to travel between them that the entire cavern had arrived before Bilbo himself. Then, Thranduil spoke :

"Hobbit Bilbo, you are here because you threatened one of our elves' life for your freedom. You will now be interrogated and, for your sake, I advise you to answer truthfully and wisely. Thamsil, you may begin" he gestured to a nearby elf.

"Why were you in the forest?" asked Thamsil.

"We wished to visit our leader's sick cousin as quickly as possible, before he succumbed" replied Bilbo, nervously trying to think of satisfactory answers which would reveal nothing of their quest. Who knew if the elves would be against them reconquering the Lonely Mountain...

"Why did you decide to attack our brothers and sisters when they were feasting in the forest?"

"We did not mean any harm! We were tired, famished and lost and were only looking for some help." This was true.

"Yet your behavior was very violent towards the spiders..."

"To be fair, my good elf, they were trying to make us their meal..."

"How come you were not captured at the same time as the dwarves?"

Now, this was trickier. Bilbo glanced at Ariadne, who smiled smugly. She had the ring on a necklace around her neck! Bilbo started at the sight, then turned back to the King. The latter had a knowing gleam in his eyes. So, she had told him. The hobbit was torn between lying and telling the truth, desperately trying to figure out which option would be most productive. The King would know if he lied.

"I have a ring which... helps me hide from elves", he said, not telling the entire truth. Thamsil made no comment, only marked it down in his book. That had been the right choice.

"What shall you do if we let you out?"

"Well, I believe I shall still go to the dragon's lair!" Bilbo said, surprised by the question. All of a sudden the room was perfectly quiet. Oh no. Bilbo's breathing stopped, his heart missed a beat and he started sweating, terrified at what he had just let out. What had he done? Then, as suddenly as when the elves had shushed, they began their terrible ruckus once more. Some ran around to talk to their friends, or pushed and shoved in the crowd to approach the desk and hear more. The pother was so loud that Bilbo could not hear himself shout himself when his chair was upturned by the mob. What crazy elves!

The hobbit scrambled up, avoiding being trampled on by a second. He was hustled brutally on every side and strained to keep on his feet. No one was paying any attention to him in this activity, so it was the perfect time to leave... But how could he leave his ring with Ariadne? Bilbo kept his eyes on the girl, who was standing sideways from him, seeming untouched by the flurry of elves. Her lover had left her. Bilbo acted swiftly, without thinking.

He crept up behind the girl, unnoticed by all the other elves, and did as he had seen her lover do. He wrapped his arms around her, standing on tiptoes to seem taller. Bilbo stopped breathing, anxious. She did not turn around. The hobbit then lifted his hands a little, brushing her stomach and then her breasts.

"Not there," she giggled. Bilbo nearly threw up but kept in mind that she was falling into his trap. Only a few more centimeters... A cold, metal surface touched his fingers : that was it. In a second Ariadne understood what was happening and whirled around, whipping her ivory hair in Bilbo's eyes. But the hobbit had been faster. He had already ripped the ring from the ribbon and took a fraction of a second to grin mischievously at her, then slipped it on.

He was invisible! It had worked! Ariadne started screaming for help, her eyes darting in every direction to find him. But in the general chaos, which was growing at every second with each elf trying to shout louder than his neighbor, not a single elf registered that the princess was in need. Bilbo fought through the sea of swarming elves, not minding pushing them off because he knew that in this activity, they would not notice an additional shove from an invisible hobbit. He was nearing the door when he tripped suddenly over a fallen body sprawled on the ground. It was a guard, as he could see from the keys hanging on his belt. Bilbo looked closely at him and recognized one of the guards who had thanked him for his light weight, and was shocked to see that this "friend" had been stomped on so much that he had died. His face was one large, purple bruise. His hair was matted with blood.

Bilbo gulped and stared at the dead guard, tears coming to him. He had not known the elf, but all the same he was grieved by this killed man. A thought of the dwarves brought him back to the reality of his situation, however. He cast one last look at the guard, ripped the keys from his belt and rushed off to the door, slipping behind a group of women prying their way out. He ran silently past them, knowing he had to hurry before his absence was discovered, which not wait long.

He remembered his instructions and followed them, reaching the staircase in a matter of minutes, tumbling down the steps in his haste, then sprinting along the corridor where he would find the dwarves. So far, he had not met anyone else.

"Fili!" he cried, not too loudly as he felt he was nearing their cells. "Kili! Dwalin! It's me, Bilbo, answer me!"

He kept his eyes locked on the corridors dashing by on his left, waiting to see those barred doors. Finally, he spotted them and stopped, crashing down with lassitude.

"Fili?" he wheezed, "are you there?"

"Bilbo! can you get us out?"

"Yes, I'm coming. Shush! Do not worry, I am invisible."

Once again, Bilbo pushed himself up onto his trembling legs, then went to each door and unlocked them, one by one, It took a few tries each time to find the right key but the locks were all large and brass, so it was not too hard to identify the key that went with it. Soon, the thirteen dwarves had scrambled out, looking a little confused when they could not see Bilbo, but they trusted him after everything he had done for them.

They were freed.

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This isn't the end, but it was already really long so I'll keep you waiting a little more for the last chapter! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! Sorry for the delay between the last chapter and this one, I've been really busy with school starting again! Enjoy...  
**

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**Chapter 5**

The dwarves had escaped from their cells, but they were far from being safe altogether. They would have to leave the cavern before Bilbo's absence was noticed and all the doors closed. Bilbo hurried his friends along, begging them to be silent and swift although the dwarves were so tempted to ask him a myriad of questions that they had a hard time trying to be quiet. They went back the same way that Bilbo had come through, peering around corners before going on to check that no-one was about. As long as the tunnels were empty, the elves were still bickering in the King's Chambers. There must be a number of deaths by now, thought Bilbo shivering as he thought of the guard again. They trotted through the corridors, the dwarves in bad shape after a week of lying around and eating the heavy meals of the elves. Bilbo had more stamina than them but was weak from _his_ week of hiding, running, escaping elves and eating nothing but berries and a single meal.

All in all they made good progress to the staircase, which they shortly ascended, Bilbo having to drag the dwarves on, the latter having started to study the architecture of the excavated stairs. As they passed the third landing, a rapid series of sounds came to them from the bottom of the staircase. Footsteps. The dwarves and hobbit freezed, their heart shuddering from the sudden fear that had taken hold of them. Were they guards? They took no time to wait to see but scrambled through the door on the landing and ran off into the tunnel that lay behind it, shutting the door softly once they had all went through. They raced on, puffing as little as possible so as to listen to the footsteps gradually growing louder in the staircase. Suddenly, the corridor stopped short, barring the way off. It was a dead end. The small people panicked, shooting worried looks to the door fifty meters behind them and wondering if the guards would notice them hugging the wall in the shadows of the tunnel, if ever they came in. They desperately hoped it would not be the case, but knew deep down that they were doomed if the soldiers even opened the door.

There they stayed for only a couple of seconds, which felt like hours, listening to the beat of the steps pounding on the stairs. They seemed to be about a dozen: near to the company's number, except they were twice as tall... They heard the hammering sounds nearing the door and held they breath, terrified. The footsteps slowed... then accelerated again. They were safe! The guards had left! They all exhaled, relief flowing fast over them. Their bodies relaxed and they smiled at each other, reddening a little at the fear they had openly shown. Bilbo was not as at ease. He kept an eye on the door and an ear on the footsteps, then beckoned his friends to follow him as he inched back to the door. The coast was clear, they should set off again. The fact that guards had been running from the corridor where they were supposed to be imprisoned showed that their escape had been marked.

They started climbing the steps again, this time the only ones in the staircase, but nervously anyways. When they reached the eighth floor, Bilbo hesitated. This was the only other part of the cavern he knew, but with the King's Chambers so close it would be suicidal to try to go through it. He decided to lead the dwarves higher up to find another way out. They passed the ninth landing, then the tenth, the eleventh... They were all out of breath and their legs were turned to cotton as they collapsed in front of the twelfth floor. This was the top. After resting for a handful of seconds, Thorin eased the door open. Five different tunnels branched out at different angles, each one as dark and moist as the other. It was clear that this floor was not used by the elves, for the ground was rough and knobbly, the walls sweating and glistening with humidity, the corners between any two walls thick with cobwebs. They were oddly reassured by this, because it showed that they would have little chance of falling on any guard. They set off at once, marching along, trying to keep to the main bowel as much as possible. Twice the tunnel forked and they had to chose between the two: Bilbo preferred the right side, because he knew that the King's Chambers, although some floors under, was to the left.

The soles of their moccasins dampened, and they started pulling on their clothes to protect themselves against the icy coldness seeping in. Falling drops echoed in the tunnels, their breaths sighed loudly in the silence, condensing in bare puffs of clouds as they left the heat of their lungs. They walked for half an hour, astounded at the length of the cavern and wondering if they would ever find a way out. A thought whispered at the back of all their heads: what if there was no other exit? _Then_ how would they escape? Their fears were justified, but unneeded. At last they came across a door which led, not into a room like the hundreds of others they had already opened, but to a staircase. They knew they had not just gone around in circles and ended up at the first one because their tunnel was the only one which led to it.

"Finally!" cried Kiki, "We'll be out of this hell! Let's find some warmth."

Indeed, the temperature was so low that their noses and ears all were entirely numbed and burned if they tried to rub them. They examined the staircase, noting that it led down but, surprisingly, it also led up.

"Which way do you think?" asked Bilbo to everyone.

"I'm not going further up", declared Dwalin. "I don't want to turn into an ice-cube".

"All right", said Fili, "Down we go".

The group began their descent, being careful to make no noise at all. They had relaxed their guard a little before, but now they could be heard. Bilbo followed his friends, but looked back at the climbing steps with a hint of regret. He had wished to know how come there was a new floor to the cavern. They crept down slowly but determinedly, walking by landing after landing without encountering a single elf. So far, apart from the running guards which had scared them, they had had a lot of luck, but they knew that it would change once they left the staircase. It was inevitable that the elves were searching throughout the entire cavern for them.

Bilbo guessed they had reached the eighth floor when they heard a great commotion behind the door. The group stopped abruptly, dismayed that they would not be able to leave the cavern by the tunnels that Bilbo knew better than others. They looked at each other with lost looks, wondering what they could do now. At that moment, they were startled by the noise rapidly approaching the door and rushed back up, hiding behind a corner higher in the stairs. They could only wish that the elves coming out would go down. The door was violently opened and, by the sound of their footsteps, two elves came running out.

"I cannot believe you let them escape!" growled a woman's voice, which Bilbo recognized as Tauriel's, "You had one job to do, watch him, and you managed to forget him in the activity of the King's Chambers? I thought you had more sense than letting yourself get worked up by the crowd!"

The two clattered down the stairs, the second elf not answering Tauriel's reproaches. Gloin signaled the others to start mounting again before the elves came back. Bilbo felt a little stupid going up and down the stairs, the tension in his chest as he hid and fled reminding him of the peculiar feeling that always overcame him when he played hide and seek as a child. Suddenly, Bombur tripped and slid down a few steps, crying out with surprise and pain as he fell. The dwarves gasped as they heard the shout, followed by the sound of Tauriel and the other elf's footsteps coming up the stairs at a racing pace. They were in pursuit. Thorin grabbed Bombur's arms and pulled him up then they all fled up the carved out stairs, endeavoring to reach the twelfth floor before they were caught.

When they finally came wheezing and huffing to the abandoned floor, Bilbo remembered that the stairs continued on and whispered urgently :

"Let's try going higher! There might be an exit up there!"

They heard now a much larger number of footsteps pounding after them, getting closer and closer every second. Tauriel had alerted her guards. Panicked, the dwarves followed Bilbo up the stairs, slipping on the moist rock. They rounded a corner a fell on a rotten wooden door, which Bilbo tried to open but failed to, since it was locked. Bombur, embarrassed at having caused the problem, backed up a little and said:

"Leave it to me."

He lept to the door and burst through the rotten wood, crashing out of the staircase and onto the grass of the outside! Overjoyed, they all streamed out : they were standing on a narrow ribbon of grass overlooking the facade of the cavern, which was similar to be standing at the edge of a cliff. They beamed at the trees surrounding them, the soft grassing rolling down at their feet, the cool air of the evening. But someone was missing : all of a sudden, the dwarves noticed that Bombur had disappeared. They peered nervously over the ledge and saw a stream snaking out of the foot of the cavern and losing itself into the trees. Splashing in the water was the poor Bombur who had fallen over the edge in his jump through the door!

Despite this alarming discovery, the group knew that they could not forget the elves chasing them. They turned around towards the gaping hole in the door and had only the time to see a couple of feet turning around the last corner before Bilbo took the lead in the action and pushed all his friends off the ledge! They were so stunned that they did not even scream, only wriggled around in the air for a few seconds before hitting the surface of the water. Bilbo sunk underwater for a moment, then came bobbing back up like a cork. All around him were the dwarves spluttering as they pushed their heads out of the stream.

"You idiot!", said Dwalin angrily, "You could have killed us!"

"I saved you, you mean," replied Bilbo, "The elves were on us!"

They all looked up at the top of the cavern and saw a dozen of elfguards walking around the grass. None had yet looked down. As their faces looked upwards, they did not notice the barrels coming crashing down the stream from the mouth of the cavern where it gushed forth. The barrels hit their heads with strength, severely grazing Bilbo's cheek. The hobbit moaned a little with surprise and hurt, then had an idea as he watched the barrels more closely:

"These seem like empty barrels, dwarves! Get inside one as quickly as you can, before we are seen."

As soon as he said these words the dwarves understood the genius of his plan and each scrambled into a barrel as rapidly as they could, struggling to lift their trembling bodies out of the cold water without filling up the barrels themselves. Finally they were all uncomfortably tucked in, and thus began their journey out of Mirkwood and all the way along the stream to the Lake Town where Men dwelled...

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The end! Now it joins up to the real story!

Hope you enjoyed this little alternative, don't forget to review please! :)


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